Forbes: Seahawks are the world’s 27th-most valuable sports franchise

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Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and team owner Paul Allen, far right, talk as QB Russell Wilson warms up in the foreground before the Cowboys game Sept. 16, 2012, at CenturyLink Field. (Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

The Seattle Seahawks are the world’s 27th-most valuable sports franchise and Paul Allen is the richest team owner in the NFL, according to Forbes magazine.

The Seahawks had an overall value of $1.04 billion in 2012, earning it a middle ranking in Forbes’ newly released list of the 50 most valuable sports franchises in the world. But that’s less than one-third the value of Forbes’ top-ranked team, Real Madrid, which was worth $3.3 billion.

The New York Yankees were the most valuable American franchise with a 2012 value of $2.3 billion, coming in fourth on the list. The Dallas Cowboys were the highest rated team in the NFL, at No. 5 with a $2.1 billion valuation, Forbes said.

There were 15 NFL teams ranked higher than the Seahawks, placing Seattle right in the middle of the football pack. Those teams, in order, were the Patriots, Redskins, Giants, Texans, Jets, Eagles, Bears, 49ers, Packers, Ravens, Colts, Broncos, Steelers, Dolphins and Panthers.

Yet with his net worth of $15 billion, Seahawks owner Allen is the richest owner in the NFL, Forbes said. Allen, who also owns the MLS’ Seattle Sounders FC and NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, made most of his fortune as the co-founder of a little software company called Microsoft.